de forest



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

v D. W. DE FOREST.

PRESS.

No. 270,936. Pat ted Jan.23, 1883.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

1). W. DE FOREST.

PRESS.

No. 270,936. Patented JanQZS, 1883.

PETERS. Pncio-Lrlllognphel. Wusmnglon. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

DAVID, W. DE FOREST, or BROOKLYN, NEW'YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE FOREST MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,936, dated January 23, 1883.

Application filed June 12, 1882. (No model.) I

to the accompanying drawings, which are hereby made a part of the specification.

The invention relates to that class of presses which are designed and used for pressing ma-.

terials of a spongy nature-such as cotton,

tobacco, &c.but more especially for pressing and molding plug-tobacco.

' The object of this invention is to reduce the cost of producing substances in a compressed state by utilizing the time lost by the attenddant in waiting for the pressure to effect compactness in materials which are being pressed.

The .presses now in use for making plugtobacco consist of a mold in which the loose tobaccoleaves are pressed, and the attendant,

by means of a lever, causes the plunger to compress the same. It is necessary to hold a newly-pressed plug a short space of time under pressure, for if relieved immediately after it has the greatest pressure its spongy nature 0 would cause it to swell, and it would then 'require more surface of leaf to suitably cover it. This time of the attendant is consequently lost to the manufacturer, and as within this time another plug could be made a machine so con- 3 5 structed as to enable the attendant to make use of this time would produce double the quantity.

This object is accomplished by my invention; and it consists,firs.t, in the employment of two 40 or more reciprocating molds mounted on one frame, and operated by cams firmly secured to a common shaft in reversed position; second, in the peculiarconstruction of and devices forming the molds, whereby an automatic 4 5 movement of the end plate is secured third, in the means of adjusting the mold to form plugs of various sizes fourth, in arresting the cams at each half-revolution, and also in the peculiar devices by which this is accomplished,

for the purpose of discharging and recharging the mold not under pressure, and permitting the material under pressure to attain compactness; and, fifth, in the use in the mold of a removable bottom block, which has a hinge bearinggroove for the edge of the front or apron of the mold.

The above description relates to a press having but one pair of molds and cams." Any desired number may be used, requiring only a duplication and changes in the parts, as would be made by'auy skillful mechanic.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front eleva-- tion of a press containing my invention. Fig.

2 is avertical sectional view on the line as :10 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a. rear view of the back of the mold, and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through the center of the mold.

Referring to'the several figures more in detail, the machine thereillustrated will be seen to consist of the following parts A is a frame, which is provided with suitable bearings, a, in which is mounted a camshaft, B. To this shaft B are firmly secured two cams or cranks, C, so placed with reference to each other that their greatest eccentricities are in opposite directions. Above each cam is a table, D, and upon this table is a mold for the reception of the material to be pressed. To the bottom of the table D are secured friction-rollers, resting upon the cir- 8o cumference of the cams. The table D has at its side slots (1, which, together with the braces m m, that are secured to said table, form continuous grooves Surrounding the ribs a and thus act as guides to the table in its reciprocating motion. E is the back of the mold, and is secured to the table D by bolts dpassing through slots d in the right-angular flange, extending back from the rear edge of the back E,by means of which Slots and bolts said 0 back E is made adjustable.

' On table D and against the back E is the bottom F, the front edge of which is grooved, as shown, to form the hinge for the front'or apron G. 5

H H are end'blocks of the mold, resting on the bottom F, and held in position thereon by the lugs e, that are adjustably Secured to the back E. At either end of these end blocks I form flanges h h, and to the lower one of these flanges an adjustable extension, 1), is fastened by a bolt passing through a slot therein, the end of said extension resting against the inner side of the ribs a which are cut away at an incline at a. The end blocks, H H, are movable in a lateral direction, and upon the ascent of the table they are forced toward the material to be pressed by the action of theincline a upon the extension 19, or the flanges in the absence of any extensions.

The door G or apron is a plate which I has its lower edge rounded to form a-hinge with the groovefin the bottom or base F. This door or apron opens between two overhanging side plates,I I, which are secured to or formed on table D at a distance from each other equal to the width of said door. Pivoted to the front of apron G is a cross-bar of sufficient length toextend somewhatbeyond the sides of the apron, and in the overhanging side plates, 1 I, are slots, into which said ends of the cross-bar g willv pass when turned to a horizontal position, thereby locking and holding the apron G rigidly upright.

To the back of the mold E are fastened two springs, e, of any suitable form, the free ends of which press against pins f, which extend backward from the head-block through slots 6 in the back E, and which cause the end blocks to recede from the pressed material as soon as the extension 1) reaches the incline a In order to arrest the cam-shaft at each halfrevolution, thereby giving time for the material in the mold under pressure to attain compactness, and at the same time to allow the attendant to discharge and recharge the mold not under pressure, I employ automaticallyworking clutches, which engage alternately on either side of a continually-rotating pulley mounted loosely upon one end of the camshaft, and provided on either side of the hub with a half-clutchJj, fitted to engage alternately with the clutches b b, feathered to the cam-shaft B. The clutches b b are brought into engagement with the half-clutchesjj and the power pulley or gear by levers S S, as shown in the drawings, operated either by hand or foot power, (if by hand, by a lever, S as may be desired. The clutch b is automatically thrown out of engagement by shipping-lever K, hinged to the frame at a, one end of which is connected to the clutch I), while the other end extends inward, and has an inclined tripping-shoe, It. When the table I) has risen to almostits highest position, the edge d of said table will move into engagement with shoe 7a of lever K, and, pressing against the incline k of said shoe, will force the clutches bj out of engagement and arrest the motion of the mold. When the operator has filled the other mold, he throws the other clutch, 1), into engagement with the powerpulley by means of the levers, as shown in the drawings.

Pivoted to the frame A at a is anotherlever, K, which is attached to the clutch bat or near the end, and is also pivoted with an adjustable tripping-shoe, arranged to extend inward sufficiently to be operated 'by the edge of the table D when it descends, so as to force the clutch I) out of engagement in a manner similar to that described in the case of the lever K.

The plunger L is secured to frame A by means of set-screws, and is made adjustable. Its lower face should be of the same size as the plug when pressed. In the press shown this object is obtained by fastening a plate of the desired size to the lower side of the plunger. The cams 0 have at their greatest eccentricities a depression, and at their least.

both a depression and a slight elevation.

The object of these devices is to insure the entire accuracy of the tripping mechanism, one allowing the table D to descend a trifle lower than it otherwise would, and the other causing it to ascend somewhat higher than would a plain cam or eccentric. These depressions also insure the stopping of the tables at the proper points.

The operation of the press is as follows: Power may be communicated in any suitable manner. In the drawings it is represented as being accomplished by a pinion, a, gearing into the power pulley or wheel J the pinion being mounted on adriving-shaft resting in hearings inbrackets extending from the rear of the frame. The operator, having filled the open mold, closes the apron and looks it. He then throws clutch 1) into engagement with the power-pulley. This causes the cam-shaft to revolve, and the cams, acting upon the frictionrollers,raise the table D with the mold upon it. The end blocks are forced into position, and the plunger, entering the mold, compresses the material therein into the desired form. The table D,having reached the shoe 7c of thelever K, throws the clutch out of gear, and the friction-rollers resting in the depressions in the cams,the press is at rest, and one half-revolution is completed. In the meantime the other mold has descended, being moved by its own weight, the movement of the cams beneath it having permitted this motion. In its descent the springs, pressing upon the pinsf, force out w the end plates as soon as their extensions reach the inclines in the ribs ed. The operator then unlocks the mold, and the apronfalls downward until stopped by the projections m, extending from the overhanging sides. The press-plug lies free to be removed, and is taken out by the operator, who then recharges the mold, looks it, and throws the clutch b into engagement with the power-pulley. Thereupon this mold ascends and the other one descends. In its downward motion the plate D, striking against the shoe k attached to lever K, throws the clutch b out of engagement, and the press comes to rest, the cam-shaft having completed the second halfof its revolution.

I do not claim broadly the use of adjustable and movable end pieces or blocks for a mold, as they are old and well known, and have been used for cotton-presses for pressing india-ink and other substances; but I limit myself to the peculiar devices by which the adj ustability of these parts is secured.

WVhat I do claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the end pieces, H, with the springs e and the ribs a provided with inclines a whereby the end pieces are caused to move laterally as the mold ascends and descends, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a press, of the fixed plunger L, the apron G, and the laterallymoving end pieces, H H, provided with extensions p, substantially as described.

3. The bottom plate, F, provided with a grooved edge, f, in combination with-the door G, substantially as shown and described.

4:. The combination of the table D, the cam O, the clutches b b andjj, and the levers K K, provided with inclines k 70 as and for the purpose described and set forth. 7

5. The combination of two or more reciprocating molds provided with laterally-moving end pieces, and a cam-shaft provided with means for arresting its motion at each halfrevolution, substantially as shown and de- 

